The present invention relates generally to devices for spraying materials and more particularly to adapters for handheld paint spray guns used, for example, to apply paint to motor vehicles.
Spray gun devices are generally known in the art for applying materials to surfaces. Spray guns typically include a nozzle or orifice from which a liquid, gas, or powdered material is ejected toward a substrate to be coated. Common applications of spray gun devices include spray guns for applying paint, varnish, sealant, lacquer, pigment, cleaners, abrasives, etc. Spray guns are used in a variety of industries, including in the automotive industry for painting vehicle components and in other industrial and agricultural applications.
Spray guns typically include one or more handles configured to be grasped by a user. The handle or handles are typically attached to a frame or body. A nozzle or orifice may also be attached to the frame or body of the spray gun. Spray guns typically also include an actuation mechanism such as a trigger or button for selectively releasing the material to be sprayed. Additionally, spray guns may include a container for storing the material to be sprayed. During use, a user will grasp the handle and engage the actuation mechanism to control the flow of spray material.
One problem associated with the use of spray guns is the limited reach of the spray gun device. Spray guns are usually dimensioned such that a user can lift and manipulate the gun. To achieve this goal, spray guns are usually of a size that can be easily handled by a user. When a user extends his or her arm while holding the spray gun, the range of spray coverage is generally limited by the distance the user can extend the arm. When the spray gun is extended to the user's maximum reach, the user must either move to a new position or move the substrate to further extend coverage with the spray gun.
Another problem associated with conventional spray guns is that they may be heavy. As a user holds a spray gun and extends the spray gun away from the user's body, a mechanical moment is created acting downwardly against the spray gun. This may cause the spray gun to inadvertently rotate in the user's hand. One example of the aforementioned problems is seen in the application of automobile paint spraying. When a user is painting an automobile or similar object using a handheld spray gun, such as an HVLP spray gun, the user must extend the user's arm to reach areas such as the center of a hood or top of the automobile. The area a user can spray may be limited by the user's reach. As such, users of handheld spray guns often struggle to extend the reach to cover large areas. This can cause the spray gun to tilt or rotate to a position that does not emit the sprayed material in a direction normal to the substrate surface. This is generally undesirable.
What is needed, then, are improvements in the devices and methods for extending the reach of a spray gun.